The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) will resume continuous voter registration in August 2025, Chairperson Erastus Ethekon has announced. This comes after a two-year suspension due to legal and structural limitations within the commission.
In a statement released on Saturday, Ethekon said the IEBC has been working diligently behind the scenes to prepare for the exercise, which will focus on updating the voter register and giving more Kenyans especially the youth an opportunity to participate in democratic processes.
“IEBC is currently finalising internal processes and in August next month, we will announce via a gazette notice the timelines of resumption of continuous voter registration to allow eligible citizens of Kenya to register as voters,” said Ethekon.
The commission had been unable to proceed with voter registration due to a lack of quorum following the exit of former commissioners after the 2022 General Election. The law mandates that such decisions can only be made by a fully constituted commission.
“In our absence, therefore, the secretariat could not do much other than wait for the constitution of the commission, which we now have,” he explained.
Ethekon acknowledged the growing demand for the resumption of the registration process, particularly from youth and political leaders who have been vocal in pushing for the reactivation of voter enrolment.
“These calls are driven largely by a new generation of voters eager to participate in the democratic processes in accordance with the Constitution,” he said. “We hear the voices of young Kenyans.”
He stressed the central role of an accurate and inclusive voter register in ensuring credible elections, noting that such a register forms the bedrock of democratic integrity.
“The credibility of any elections depends heavily on the accuracy and integrity of the voter register. A clean and inclusive register is not merely administrative it is the foundation of free, fair and transparent elections,” Ethekon stated.
He added that the commission would maintain regular engagement with stakeholders to ensure a smooth and inclusive rollout of the voter registration exercise.
